When reflecting on the life of a spiritually 'advanced' persons no longer with us I wonder what they would be like in todays world. There are great teachers today yet it's curious to me why it appears we put more importance on those who are no longer around. Much of my study comes from knowledge imparted on us long ago... I am sure there is more to learn as we advance through the ages. Could it be some teachings from these "great ones" are wrong or simply outdated? Although I admire Hazarat Inayat Khan and what he chose to share I do not always think it wise to place one on a pedestal but we see this as consequence of admiration and call it human nature... - usually a person must pass before being recognized as great or wise. It's interesting to note we admire a persons path more than another and presume their knowledge is perfect and everything they share must be matter of fact... I'm sure, from a nonchalant attitude 'guised as enlightenment one would say all paths are perfect as is the struggle and decisions you make which lead to the one true realization. I guess what I'm suggesting is there are greater powers- wilder realities and untapped knowledge that even the masters may have missed. So do you follow one person until you die or do you take a little bit of what you find helpful here and there and create your own way- recognizing not everything these great ones teach us are going to work FOR YOU?

"So do you follow one person until you die or do you take a little bit of what you find helpful here and there and create your own way- recognizing not everything these great ones teach us are going to work FOR YOU?"

I'd have to say I fall into the latter camp. While I've been on the (non-SRF) kriya yoga path for many years and consider that to be my primary path, I also get sustenance and inspiration from other teachers, like Swami Satchidananda and Yogi Hari, and Christian saints like Thomas Merton, St. Francis, Therese of Lisieux, and more modern figures like Dorothy Day.

"So do you follow one person until you die or do you take a little bit of what you find helpful here and there and create your own way- recognizing not everything these great ones teach us are going to work FOR YOU?"

I'd have to say I fall into the latter camp. While I've been on the (non-SRF) kriya yoga path for many years and consider that to be my primary path, I also get sustenance and inspiration from other teachers, like Swami Satchidananda and Yogi Hari, and Christian saints like Thomas Merton, St. Francis, Therese of Lisieux, and more modern figures like Dorothy Day.

Yogini and Eric

It appears u are asking a personal question here because your original question in quote is a rhetorical question since u answered the question yourself in the next paragraph.

Eric's initial statement here also appears to be rhetorical in nature - a sort of self musing - since he also gives his own answer to his own questions.

The best approach for me is to evaluate the presumptions that lead us to the conclusions we arrive at for ourselves.Because really no one will change our own conclusions we make regarding our spiritual path and the people we see helping us accept we ourselves.

In most cases any answer given to such rhetorical questions which are given by others will not seem to suit our particular experiences and views anyhow. So which leads to an old cliche an adage regarding the path we follow towards enlightenment;

Each person has his or her unique spiritual path which cannot be followed or replicated in another persons sadhana and dharma.

After following a path a life time i find that most often people - including myself - always seek to change outside circumstances to improve the changes that really needs to be made within myself. The room for improvement is in most cases in ourselves.

If however u do happen to be in the presence of an enlightened human being and ask such questions u may be quite surprised by the answer. I have been. It is true that the power of words - when saturated by divine wisdom - can alter our own behavior.